Directions - Grand Canyon National Park (U.S. National Park Service) Directions Where is Grand Canyon? Grand Canyon is in the northwest corner of Arizona, close to the borders of Utah and Nevada. The Colorado River, which flows through the canyon, drains water from seven states, but the feature we know as Grand Canyon is entirely in Arizona. Most of the Grand Canyon lies within Grand Canyon National Park and is managed by the National Park Service. Jump to a larger map. Jump to: South Rim ---- North Rim The mile-deep Colorado River creates a barrier that divides the park into north and south Rims. In this illustration, the region above the North Rim is shown in yellow and the region below the South Rim is shown in blue. Why is the park separated into South and North Rims? A 277 mile long (446 km) canyon separates the park into South and North Rims. The Grand Canyon of the Colorado River is a mile-deep, (1.6 km) and creates a barrier that bisects the park.

Even though the average distance across the canyon is only 10 miles/ 16 km, be aware that it is a five-hour drive of 220 miles/ 354 km between the park's South Rim Village and the North Rim Village. Scenery, climate and vegetation are noticably different between north and south rims because of differences in elevation. It is almost like having two parks in one and it takes time, planning and effort to be able to visit both sides of the Canyon in one trip. How Do I Travel to the South Rim? The South Rim of the Grand Canyon is Open All Year and is located on the "Arizona" side of the Canyon. The South Rim receives 90% of the park's visitation. The South Rim has an airport and rail service and is a 90 minute drive from Interstate 40 and the transportation centers of Williams and Flagstaff , Arizona. A larger city with a major airport, Phoenix, Arizona , is also on this side of the canyon, and is approximately a four hour drive. More... South Rim Visitor Center: 36°03'32"N 112°06'33"W Grand Canyon National Park & Vicinity.

Scroll down for approximate driving distances. Click on map above to download it. (2.5 MB pdf file) Highway 89 from Page, AZ south to Bitter Springs, AZ reopened on March 27, 2015. The North Rim of the park is more remote, and harder to get to. Lodging, restaurants and shops are open from May 15th through October 15 each year. The North Rim receives 10% of the park's visitation. The North Rim is closed for the winter at this time. The North Rim is located on the "Utah" side of the Grand Canyon and the entrance station is 30 miles south of Jacob Lake on Highway 67. (The actual rim of the Grand Canyon with visitor services is an additional 14 miles south of the entrance station.) There is no airport or rail service to the park. (that means that the North Rim village may only be reached by road). More... North Rim Visitor Center: 36°11'51"N 112°03'09"W Click anywhere in the photo above for information about our publications.

"Traveling Green" is a great way to help Grand Canyon and other areas you visit reduce carbon emissions, divert and reduce what goes into the waste stream, and to generally help the environment. Go to the Traveling Green page for helpful tips on planning your next green adventure. Thanks for doing what you can to help protect our environment! On the South Rim, the Village Route (Blue Route) bus provides transportation between the Grand Canyon Visitor Center, hotels, restaurants, and campgrounds. Canyon views are a short walk from some of the bus stops Quick links to information about: What States Does the Grand Canyon Touch? | USA Today What States Does the Grand Canyon Touch? The Grand Canyon stretches to the borders of three states. (Photo: Comstock/Comstock/Getty Images ) Colorado & Grand Canyon River Rafting The more than 1.2 million acres of awe-inspiring desert, river and canyon scenery of the Grand Canyon draws millions of visitors each year to its national park. Recreational visitors hike the canyons, camp in designated areas, participate in river activities and explore the backcountry under a backdrop of canyon walls up to a mile high.

Tourists come from all over North America, and beyond, to view this natural wonder that borders Arizona, Nevada and Utah. Geology The Colorado River carved the Grand Canyon over the course of millions of years, creating 277 river miles of deep gorge landscape across the Colorado Plateau in northwestern Arizona. The area is semi-arid, with some sections of the upper plateau of the Grand Canyon dotted with forests, while the canyon bottoms comprise a series of desert basins. The entirety of the national park lies in Arizona, reaching to the state's border with Nevada to the west and Utah to the north. South and North Rims More visitors enter the Grand Canyon through the South Rim than any other location. The South Rim is accessible all year round, offering view points and trail heads at Grand Canyon Village, Hermit's Rest and Desert View. The North Rim is only 10 miles from the South, if you could walk directly across the canyon. For hikers, it's 21 miles by way of the North and South Kaibab Trails. By car, it's 220 miles and, depending on your route, you may dip into south Utah before re-entering Arizona.

The North Rim, arguably, has the more dramatic views at its 6,000-feet viewpoints, but the Rim is more difficult to get to and closed to traffic during inclement weather. Colorado River The Colorado River flows approximately 1,450 miles through seven U.S. states and two Mexican states. The river begins in Rocky Mountain National Park, then travels southwest through Utah, Arizona, Nevada and California, before draining into the Gulf of California in Mexico's Baja region. In addition to the Grand Canyon, the river is responsible for carving geological features at Marble Canyon, Glen Canyon, Canyonlands National Park, Horseshoe Bend and along the southern border of Arches National Park, in Utah. Getting to the Grand Canyon Visitors generally get to the Grand Canyon by way of major nearby cities. Commercial airlines serve Las Vegas, Nevada, Flagstaff, Arizona, and Phoenix, Arizona. The South Rim is located about 80 driving miles from Flagstaff, while the North Rim is just over 100 miles from George, Utah. The Grand Canyon Airport, seven miles from the park, accepts limited, smaller craft air service from Las Vegas and other nearby cities.

Bus, shuttle and rail service to the Grand Canyon is available from Phoenix and Flagstaff, while tour companies schedule regular day trips from Las Vegas. References Grand Canyon: Location, Formation & Facts Grand Canyon: Location, Formation & Facts By Kim Ann Zimmermann, Live Science Contributor | February 26, 2013 06:38pm ET MORE Grand Canyon viewed from Hopi Point, on the south rim. New evidence suggests the western Grand Canyon was cut to within 70 percent of its current depth long before the Colorado River existed. Credit: National Park Service The Grand Canyon is indeed a very big hole in the ground. It is 277 miles (446 km) long, up to 18 miles (29 km) wide and more than a mile (6,000 feet / 1,800 meters) deep. It is the result of constant erosion by the Colorado River over millions of years. Where is the Grand Canyon? The Grand Canyon is in the northwest corner of Arizona, close to the borders of Utah and Nevada.

Most of the Grand Canyon lies within Grand Canyon National Park and is managed by the National Park Service, the Hualapai Tribal Nation and the Havasupai Tribe. Map of the Grand Canyon National Park and region Credit: National Park Service The Colorado River, which flows through the canyon, touches seven states, but the Grand Canyon National Park is within the Arizona state borders. While Arizona is known as the Grand Canyon State, the attached Glen Canyon National Recreation Area is in Utah and the Lake Mead National Recreation Area borders the Grand Canyon in Nevada. The canyon’s climate is semi-arid, with some sections of the upper plateau dotted with forests, while the canyon bottoms are a series of desert basins. More than 1,500 plant, 355 bird, 89 mammalian, 47 reptile, 9 amphibian and 17 fish species are found in park, according to the National Park Service . The Grand Canyon is divided into the North Rim and the South Rim. The South Rim is open all year and receives 90 percent of the park’s visitors.

The South Rim has an airport and rail service and is also close to many transportation hubs and the Arizona cities of William and Flagstaff, as well as Las Vegas, Nev. The North Rim is located closer to Utah and has stunning views, but is not nearly as accessible as the South Rim. While only 10 miles (16 kilometers) separate the two rims if you could walk across the canyon, it is only reachable by hikers who tackle the 21 miles (33.8) of the North and South Kaibab Trails, or those who travel 220 miles (354 kilometers) by vehicle. The North Rim is often closed during inclement weather as the roads quickly become dangerous. [ Countdown: 7 Amazing Grand Canyon Facts ] The Grand Canyon Skywalk, 4,000 feet above the floor in the Grand Canyon West area. Credit: Laslo Varga Grand Canyon Skywalk One popular attraction is the Grand Canyon Skywalk, a horseshoe-shaped glass walkway that is 4,000 feet (1,220 meters) above the canyon floor in the Grand Canyon West area of the main canyon.

Since opening in March 2007, about 300,000 visitors have walked the Grand Canyon Skywalk each year. Commissioned and owned by the Hualapai Indian tribe, the skywalk is an engineering marvel conceived by David Jin, a Las Vegas-based investor who had been involved with tourism and the Hualapai Nation. The project sparked a great deal of controversy regarding the continued commercialization of this natural phenomenon, but proponents argued that it is part of a larger plan to address the tribe’s high unemployment and poverty rates. The tribe unsuccessfully sued Lin regarding management fees. How was the Grand Canyon formed? The specific geologic processes and timing that formed the Grand Canyon spark lively debates by geologists. The general scientific consensus, updated at a 2010 conference, holds that the Colorado River carved the Grand Canyon beginning 5 million to 6 million years ago. However, recent advances in dating techniques have upended the notion of a uniformly young Grand Canyon. The new approach determines when erosion uncovered rocks in the canyon. The big picture: there were two ancestral canyons, one in the west and one in the east. And the western canyon may be as old as 70 million years.

[For more on the Grand Canyon's formation, see New Clues Emerge in Puzzle of Grand Canyon's Age ] Nearly 40 identified rock layers form the Grand Canyon’s walls. Because most layers are exposed through the Canyon’s 277-mile length, they afford the opportunity to study geologic evolution through time. For thousands of years, the area has been continuously inhabited by Native Americans who built settlements within the canyon and its numerous caves. The Pueblo people considered the Grand Canyon ("Ongtupqa" in Hopi) a holy site and made pilgrimages to it. García López de Cárdenas, an explorer from Spain, was the first European known to have viewed the Grand Canyon. As a member of the 1540 expedition of Francisco Vásquez de Coronado, he led a party from Cibola, the Zuñi country of New Mexico, to find a river mentioned by the Hopi. After a 20-day journey he was the first white man to see the Colorado River and the Grand Canyon. President Theodore Roosevelt, an avid outdoorsman, advocated for the preservation of the Grand Canyon area and hunted and took in the breathtaking scenery there on numerous occasions.

However, it was a long journey for it to become the 15th national park. Then-Senator Benjamin Harrison introduced unsuccessfully introduced bills in 1882, 1883 and 1886 to make it a national park. Theodore Roosevelt created the Grand Canyon Game Preserve by proclamation in 1906 and Grand Canyon National Monument in 1908. The Grand Canyon National Park Act was finally signed by President Woodrow Wilson in 1919 and it was considered a major milestone by conservationists. The National Park Service, established in 1916, assumed administration of the park. – Kim Ann Zimmermann, LiveScience Contributor Related: Grand Canyon | canyon, Arizona, United States | Britannica.com canyon, Arizona, United States Grand Canyon, immense canyon cut by the Colorado River in the high plateau region of northwestern Arizona , U.S. , noted for its fantastic shapes and coloration. Mount Hayden as seen from Point Imperial, Grand Canyon National Park, northwestern Arizona, U.S.

David Muench—Stone/Getty Images Panoramic views of Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona: a close-up of coloured cliffs (top), a … Geoff Tompkinson/GTImage.com (A Britannica Publishing Partner) The Grand Canyon lies in the southwestern portion of the Colorado Plateau , which occupies a large area of the southwestern United States and consists essentially of horizontal layered rocks and lava flows. The broad, intricately sculptured chasm of the canyon contains between its outer walls a multitude of imposing peaks, buttes, gorges, and ravines. It ranges in width from about 175 yards (160 metres) to 18 miles (29 km) and extends in a winding course from the mouth of the Paria River, near Lees Ferry and the northern boundary of Arizona with Utah , to Grand Wash Cliffs, near the Nevada state line, a distance of about 277 miles (446 km); the first portion of the canyon—from Lees Ferry to the confluence with the Little Colorado River—is called Marble Canyon. The Grand Canyon also includes many tributary side canyons and surrounding plateaus.

Grand Canyon, Arizona, U.S., designated a World Heritage site in 1979. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. The greatest depths of the Grand Canyon lie more than a mile (some 6,000 feet [1,800 metres]) below its rim. The deepest and most spectacularly beautiful section, 56 miles (90 km) long, is within the central part of Grand Canyon National Park , which encompasses the river’s length from Lake Powell (formed by Glen Canyon Dam in 1963) to Lake Mead (formed by Hoover Dam in 1936). The North Rim, at approximately 8,200 feet (2,500 metres) above sea level , is some 1,200 feet (365 metres) higher than the South Rim. In its general colour, the Grand Canyon is red, but each stratum or group of strata has a distinctive hue—buff and gray, delicate green and pink, or, in its depths, brown, slate-gray, and violet. Yavapai Point, South Rim, Grand Canyon National Park, northwestern Arizona, U.S.

© Index Open Yosemite National Park Although its awesome grandeur and beauty are the major attractions of the Grand Canyon, perhaps its most vital and valuable aspect lies in the time scale of Earth history that is revealed in the exposed rocks of the canyon walls. No other place on Earth compares to the Grand Canyon for its extensive and profound record of geologic events. The canyon’s record, however, is far from continuous and complete. There are immense time gaps; many millions of years are unaccounted for, owing to gaps in the strata that resulted either from vast quantities of materials being removed by erosion or because there was little or no deposition of materials. Thus, rock formations of considerably different ages are separated by only a thin distinct surface that reveals the vast unconformity in time. The Colorado Plateau and the Grand Canyon, northern Arizona, U.S. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Briefly summarized, the geologic history of the canyon strata is as follows. The crystallized, twisted, and contorted unstratified rocks of the inner gorge at the bottom of the canyon are Archean granite and schist more than 2.5 billion years old.

Overlying those very ancient rocks is a layer of Proterozoic limestones, sandstones, and shales that are more than 540 million years old. On top of them are Paleozoic rock strata composed of more limestones, freshwater shales, and cemented sandstones that form much of the canyon’s walls and represent a depositional period stretching over 300 million years. Overlying those rocks in the ordinary geologic record should be a thick sequence of Mesozoic rocks (about 250 to 65 million years old), but rocks dating from the Mesozoic Era in the Grand Canyon have been entirely eroded away. Mesozoic rocks are found nonetheless in nearby southern Utah, where they form precipitous butte remnants and vermilion, white, and pink cliff terraces. Of relatively recent origin are overlying sheets of black lava and volcanic cones that occur a few miles southeast of the canyon and in the western Grand Canyon proper, some estimated to have been active within the past 1,000 years. (See also Grand Canyon Series .) Mather Point observation area, a popular spot for viewing the Grand Canyon, Arizona. E. Cooper/H.

Armstrong Roberts Big Radio Burst from Tiny Galaxy The cutting of the mile-deep Grand Canyon by the Colorado River is an event of relatively recent geologic history that began not more than six million years ago, when the river began following its present course. The Colorado River’s rapid velocity and large volume and the great amounts of mud, sand, and gravel it carries swiftly downstream account for the incredible cutting capacity of the river. Before Glen Canyon Dam was built, the sediments carried by the Colorado River were measured at an average of 500,000 tons per day. Conditions favourable to vigorous erosion were brought about by the uplift of the region, which steepened the river’s path and allowed deep entrenchment. The depth of the Grand Canyon is the result of the cutting action of the river, but its great width is explained by rain , wind, temperature, and chemical erosion, helped by the rapid wear of soft rocks, all of which steadily widened the canyon. An experiment was conducted in March 2008, in which water equivalent to about 40 percent of the river’s original flow was released from Glen Canyon Dam for a period of 60 hours to measure the erosion and deposition of sediments along the river.

Researchers monitoring the experiment noted additional sand deposition at numerous locations along the river following the release. The Colorado River winding through Marble Canyon, Grand Canyon National Park, northwestern Arizona, … David Muench—Stone/Getty Images Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Pinterest The most significant aspect of the environment that is responsible for the canyon is frequently overlooked or not recognized. Were it not for the semiarid climate in the surrounding area, there would be no Grand Canyon. Slope wash from rainfall would have removed the canyon walls, the stair-step topography would long ago have been excavated, the distinctive sculpturing and the multicoloured rock structures could not exist, the Painted Desert southeast of the canyon along the Little Colorado River would be gone, and the picturesque Monument Valley to the northeast near the Utah state line would have only a few rounded hillocks. Biological past and present Journey Around the World Terrestrial plant and animal fossils are not abundant in the Grand Canyon’s sedimentary rocks because of the age of the rocks. Fossils are mostly of primitive algae and such marine species as mollusks, corals, trilobites, and other invertebrates. Plant life is also varied.

In the bottom of the canyon, where temperatures in the summer can reach a high of 120 °F (49 °C), are willows and cottonwoods, which require abundant water during the growing season. Drought-resistant plants include tamarisks, yuccas, agaves, and numerous species of cactus. Efforts have been made to eradicate stands of the invasive tamarisk. On the canyon rims, north and south, there is a wide assortment of plant life. Typical of the South Rim, which receives about 15 inches (380 mm) of precipitation annually, is a well-developed ponderosa pine forest, with scattered stands of piñon pine and juniper. Bush vegetation consists mainly of scrub oak, mountain mahogany , and large sagebrush. On the North Rim, which receives 26 inches (660 mm) of precipitation annually, are magnificent forest communities of ponderosa pine, white and Douglas fir, blue spruce, and aspen . Under less optimum conditions the plant life reverts to the desert varieties. Vegetation at the Grand Canyon, Arizona. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Animal life in the Grand Canyon area today, however, is varied and abundant. Common mammals are the many varieties of squirrels, coyotes, foxes, deer, badgers, bobcats, rabbits, chipmunks, and kangaroo rats. In addition, the canyon region is home to a great many bird species, including raptors such as bald eagles and peregrine falcons and the rare California condor; fish species include trout and (in the Little Colorado River) the rare humpback chub (Gila cypha). California condor in flight in the Grand Canyon, northwestern Arizona, U.S. John Cancalosi/Alamy Editor Picks: Exploring 10 Types of Basketball Movies Many pueblo and cliff-dweller ruins, with accompanying artifacts , indicate prehistoric occupation. The first sighting of the Grand Canyon by a European is credited to the Francisco Coronado expedition of 1540 and subsequent discovery to two Spanish priests, Francisco Domínguez and Silvestre Vélez de Escalante , in 1776. In the early 1800s trappers examined it, and sundry expeditions sent by the U.S.

government to explore and map the West began to record information about the canyon. The first known descent of the river by boat through the canyon was in 1869, during an expedition to the area led by geologist and ethnographer John Wesley Powell . During the 1870s Powell and others conducted subsequent expeditions to the region, and extensive reports on the geography, geology, botany, and ethnology of the area were published. Havasu Falls, Grand Canyon, northwestern Arizona, U.S. James Randklev—The Image Bank/Getty Images The Grand Canyon at the foot of the Toroweap, illustration by William Henry Holmes from Clarence E. … The Newberry Library, Gift of Edward E. Ayer (A Britannica Publishing Partner) A portion of the canyon area was set aside as Grand Canyon Forest Reserve by Pres. Benjamin Harrison in 1893, and it was redesignated a game preserve (1903) and national monument (1908) by Pres. Theodore Roosevelt before the U.S. Congress officially established Grand Canyon National Park in 1919.

The park’s area was greatly enlarged in 1975 by the addition of adjoining federal and other lands. In 1979 the park was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site . It is an immensely popular tourist destination, with several million visitors per year. Trending Topics Grand Canyon - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up) Nature’s greatest example of sculpture, the Grand Canyon in northern Arizona is the most spectacular canyon in the world. It is a 277-mile (446-kilometer) gorge cut through high plateaus by the Colorado River. It is noted for its fantastic shapes and colors. Within the walls of the canyon stand imposing peaks, canyons, and ravines. In general, the color of the canyon is red, but each stratum (a layer of the Earth) or group of strata has a distinctive hue-buff and gray, delicate green and pink, and, in its depths, brown, slate-gray, and violet. Article Contributors Grand Canyon Region The plunging depths of Toroweap Overlook. Photo by Mark Miller.

The 36 million-acre Grand Canyon eco-region is bounded on the west by the Grand Wash drainage and includes the Little Colorado River watershed to the south and east, as it sweeps through the Painted Desert from its origin along the Mogollon Rim's expansive ponderosa pine forests in central and eastern Arizona. Utah's High Plateaus create the boundary to the north. This diverse eco-region contains the Grand Canyon at its core and includes other spectacular designated and proposed wilderness areas on the Kaibab Plateau, the Grand Canyon-Parashant and Vermilion Cliffs National Monuments, and other Bureau of Land Management public lands. The forested highlands include portions of the Apache-Sitgreaves, Kaibab, and Coconino National Forests north of the Mogollon Rim. [ back to top ] Species Diversity Within the ecoregion, America's three great North American deserts—the Great Basin, Sonoran, and Mojave—converge. These spectacular and diverse habitats offer sanctuary for numerous rare, threatened, and endangered species including desert tortoises, Gila monsters, northern goshawks, and Mexican spotted owls.

The rugged highlands support elusive mountain lions along with mule deer, black bears, and the distinctive Kaibab and Abert squirrels. The ecoregion supports the nation's largest breeding populations of desert bighorn sheep, peregrine falcons, and the endangered humpback chub. [ back to top ] Recreational Opportunities The diversity of terrain and outstanding scenic qualities of this region provide innumerable recreational opportunities to visitors. One of the most beloved of American pastimes—river running—can be found on the Colorado River as it churns on its million-year old path through the Grand Canyon. Wilderness hiking, backpacking, bird watching, and other low-impact recreation is unparalleled in the Grand Canyon region and its new monuments. [ back to top ] Geological Significance One of the region's most remarkable aspects is the astounding display of geologic features and formations revealing more than one-third of the earth's history. Grand Canyon's depths expose rocks 1.8 billion years old. Deposits found throughout the region range from Precambrian rocks containing the earth's most primitive life forms to recent lava deposits that affected native Americans living around the Flagstaff area.

The ecoregion contains some of the country's most spectacular faults and escarpments, including the Grand Wash and Vermilion Cliffs, the Mogollon Rim, and of course, the Grand Canyon itself. Cultural History Photo: National Park Service Human beings have roamed the region for the past 12,000 years, leaving behind life's traces ranging from simple lance points and arrowheads, to impressive stone buildings such as those found at Wupaki National Monument. In the beginning, hunters pursued large species such as mammoth and mastodons. Beginning 7,000 years ago, as large animals vanished or became scarce, humans relied heavily on hunting smaller animals and gathering roots, seeds, and fruits. For at least the past 2,500 years, cultivated foods supplemented the aboriginal inhabitant's diet. Today, tens of thousands of descendants of the early farmers, hunters and gathers, and Europeans inhabit the spectacular Grand Canyon ecoregion. [ back to top ] Our Regional Work The Arizona Wilderness Coalition's goals for the Grand Canyon region are ambitious, yet simple. We are advocating wilderness designation for no less than two million additional acres and the protection of existing wilderness through effective agency management.

We also advocate for the designation of eligible and suitable Wild and Scenic River segments within the region. To this end, we enlist the support of volunteers for field inventories, research of wilderness and habitat issues, and letter writing campaigns. New Monuments in this Region Grand Canyon | National Park Foundation National Park Foundation Sign Up for the Newsletter There was an error with your submission. Please try again. First Name * By submitting my email, I agree to receive correspondence from National Park Foundation. Submit Grand Canyon National Park Anchors “Let this great wonder of nature remain as it now is. You cannot improve on it. But what you can do is keep it for your children, your children’s children, and all who come after you, as the one great sight which every American should see.” Teddy Roosevelt on the Grand Canyon in 1908. President Roosevelt declared the Grand Canyon a national park, understanding more than most it can only be seen to be understood. About Grand Canyon Information Offering rim to rim hiking, donkey rides, and whitewater rafting, Grand Canyon National Park is a hugely popular national park destination. Offering rim to rim hiking, donkey rides, and whitewater rafting, Grand Canyon National Park is a hugely popular national park destination.

“In the Grand Canyon, Arizona has a natural wonder which, so far as I know, is in kind absolutely unparalleled throughout the rest of the world.” — President Theodore Roosevelt Grand Canyon National Park encompasses canyons, river tributaries, and surrounding grounds. The Grand Canyon is situated in Arizona's northwestern quadrant. With millions of visitors making the trip to the canyon each year, this park is one of the most visited tourist destinations in the world. In addition, the park has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979. The Grand Canyon had a long and arduous road to becoming a national park, beginning in the 1880s with several failed congressional bills. After making multiple visits to the area, Theodore Roosevelt declared the Grand Canyon a National Monument in 1908. The bill to grant national park status to the area was passed in 1919 and signed by then-President Woodrow Wilson. There are two public areas of Grand Canyon National Park, the North and South Rims. At 7,000 feet above sea level, the Grand Canyon South Rim is the most accessible section of the national park, with numerous places where visitors can pull over to admire the views.

The Grand Canyon North Rim, 1,000 feet higher than its southern sibling, isn't as popular because it is harder to get to, especially when harsh winter weather closes access roads. By car, the trip from one rim to the other is 220 miles. However, if traveling by foot, the distance across the canyon is 21 miles via the Kaibab Trails. Grand Canyon National Park | About the South Rim, North Rim and West Rim | Plan Your Visit to the Grand Canyon - TheCanyon.com Grand Canyon National Park The South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park is the most visited rim and accessible year round. Grand Canyon visitors who come to the South Rim often find Grand Canyon hotels and lodging in Williams, Flagstaff, Sedona and Tusayan. South Rim Hotels & Lodging First, decide how long you want to spend at the Grand Canyon. Most visitors only need enough time to view the Canyon, take some pictures and maybe a short walk or hike. If this sounds like your plan, one day is enough and you might want to stay in a nearby town such as Flagstaff or Sedona where there are other entertainment and dining options. South Rim Tours Going on a Grand Canyon tour is highly recommended.

As spectacular as the Grand Canyon is to see, it's equally spectacular in its detail. Grand Canyon helicopter tours, guided hikes, ground tours and the famous Colorado river rafting trips are all worth the time and money. Knowledgeable tour guides provide insight and perspective on just how special this Natural Wonder of the World really is and what makes absolutely unqiue. South Rim tours often leave from Williams, Flagstaff and Sedona depending on the tour you take. There are also helicopter tours from the West Rim that go to the South Rim leaving from the Las Vegas area. Whatever you decide, make sure to take a little extra time to take a tour. It'll make your trip that much more worth while. Was this helpful? North Rim Hotels & Lodging A visit to Grand Canyon's North Rim is well worth forfeiting the choices available amongst dozens of motels and hotels one finds on the South Rim. In fact, its remoteness is precisely what attracts many visitors to the North Rim in the first place. Staying overnight in Grand Canyon North Rim lodging could certainly mean booking a stay at the historic Grand Canyon Lodge & Cabins, but be sure to plan about a year ahead if this is your vacation itinerary.

North Rim Tours The North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park offers a distinctly different experience to the visitor. Rather than spectatorship, most North Rim visitors opt to hike Grand Canyon, go whitewater rafting on the Colorado River or book ever-popular Grand Canyon mule rides. Here, you'll be able find experienced Grand Canyon guides that will take you deep into the decidedly more remote North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, empowering you to dwell within its walls rather than just see it from behind a guardrail, get up-close-and-personal with the Grand Canyon in a more active way: hiking or backpacking trips and Colorado River rafting trips. Look for tours of Grand Canyon National Park North Rim departing from Lees Ferry, Flagstaff, Page, southern Utah or Las Vegas. Was this helpful? West Rim Lodging The West Rim of the Grand Canyon is a travel destination that promotes the cultural experience of visiting the Hualapai Reservation and the striking views at the western rim of the Grand Canyon. Hotels and lodging at the West Rim is basically all of Las Vegas, so no matter what your preferences are in budget, amenities, dining and entertainment, you're in the perfect place to meet all your vacation needs.

If you prefer to be off the Las Vegas strip, many visitors wisely opt to stay in Kingman, just 73 miles from the entrance to Grand Canyon West. Kingman is the ingress to northwestern Arizona, the central resting stop for travelers journeying east-west along Interstate 40, which spans from Barstow, CA through Kingman and across Arizona through Williams, Flagstaff and beyond; the latter cities are gateways to Grand Canyon National Park's South Rim. Kingman also sits at the junction of I-40 with I-93 to Las Vegas, ensuring its role as the area's portal to boating and fishing on Lakes Mead, Mohave and Havasu. Sightseers won't want to miss Hoover Dam or London Bridge, each just 60 minutes from Kingman by car. West Rim Tours Grand Canyon's West Rim is the home of the Grand Canyon Skywalk, the horseshoe-shaped glass bridge extends 70 feet over the edge of a sheer cliff. You'll also find Grand Canyon helicopter tours and ground tours to the West Rim from Las Vegas and from Grand Canyon National Park West Rim Airport.

An easy day-trip from Las Vegas, Grand Canyon Skywalk is today one of the most popular Grand Canyon destinations. Grand Canyon West is also well-known as the only place in the Grand Canyon in which helicopter tours can make their landing down in the Inner Canyon. Here you can find the right Grand Canyon West Rim tour for you. Flagstaff Flagstaff is one of the great Gateways to the Grand Canyon for its close proximity, stunning alpine beauty, college-town conviviality, and Route 66 history. Located just 90 minutes from the South Rim, Flagstaff is where you want to stay overnight when visiting the Grand Canyon if you want a wide range of hotel, motel and lodging choices and something to do after the sun goes down. Unlike the quiet towns of Tusayan and Williams, Flagstaff offers dozens of familiar hotel and motel chains, restaurants, and shopping. And the city's Northern Arizona University student-friendly profile means that visitors, too, can enjoy the nightlife in a myriad of lively bars, casual breweries, moody clubs and rockin' entertainment venues.

Sedona Just two hours from the Grand Canyon, Sedona, Arizona was was named "The Most Beautiful Place in America" in USA Weekend's Annual Travel Report and is a mecca for artists, film-makers, energy healers, and UFO enthusiasts and other rare interests. The things you might want to experience in Sedona are shopping, hiking, energy work, raw cuisine, art galleries and outdoor adventure tours. Sedona tours can range from guided yoga hikes to hot air balloon rides with champagne picnics. Was this helpful? South Rim Directions The South Rim stays open year round due to its moderate temperature, but it still does get some snow and heavy rain during the winter occasionally. The most popular time to visit the Grand Canyon South Rim is April through September. Expect crowds and vehicle congestion during this time of year. The temperatures are in the 70° - 84° range at the top of the Canyon and gets warmer as you hike down. If crowds are not your deal, consider visiting the North Rim. There are fewer North Rim hotels and lodging options, but it's well worth "roughing it" a little for a more pristine view and intimate experience with the Grand Canyon.

North Rim Directions The North Rim is open mid-May through mid-October and is closed for the other months due to weather conditions. Even though the approximate straight-line distance between the South and North Rims is only about ten miles, you should know that the driving distance is 215 miles, and amounts to five hours driving time. Besides the differences in the kinds of tours on which visitors see the North Rim than the South Rim, you'll also notice a few more distinctions. Most obvious is the significantly smaller crowds; also clear is the decidedly remote location of the North Rim. Accommodations, food, gas and other services are far fewer here than its southern counterpart. North Rim Grand Canyon visitors will be struck by the enormity of the Grand Canyon rather than the depth noted by South Rim visitors. The North Rim, at 8,000 feet elevation (1,000 feet greater than the South Rim) receives almost twice as much snow and experiences much colder winter temperatures. West Rim Directions The West Rim of the Grand Canyon is open year-round from sunrise to sunset, and is most easily accessed from Las Vegas and the Kingman area. Summer is THE most popular season for visiting Grand Canyon West.

Keep in mind that with good weather comes large crowds, scarce parking and busy viewpoints and visitors centers. Year-round, be prepared to experience full sun and warm temperatures; wear tons of sunscreen and/or a wide brimmed hat and drink plenty of water. A 3-hour (each way) day trip from Las Vegas, the West Rim of the Grand Canyon is today one of the most popular Grand Canyon destinations, but its remote location is nearly devoid of lodging and services. In fact, there is only one choice for accommodations at the Rim, and one more within 14 miles. Because of the scarcity of hotels at the West Rim, most visitors wisely choose to stay overnight in Kingman (73 miles), Peach Springs (116 miles), Laughlin, NV (111 miles) or Las Vegas, NV (123 miles.) Click here to get more detailed directions to the West Rim from surrounding areas.

Question: In which US state would you find the Grand Canyon?
Answer: Arizona